This will be my story to tell on my own terms, of fulfilling my lifelong dream of discovering the real history of my family. I do not choose between good and bad. It is what it is. I make no apologies to anyone who reads this.

Monday, August 27, 2012

While exploring my french heritage, I have naturally discovered some of the original french documents that tell the story of the lives of the many french ancestors; both maternal and paternal, that I am tracking. Though it is both wonderful that these documents still exist in archives, and have been discovered and digitized; it presents new hurdles. The first of course, is to be able to become a handwriting expert in order to perfectly read them. Once that is accomplished, then I need to get them properly translated, so that I can do a thorough interpretation of the document. So, being just your average family historian, and a bit lacking in the proper funds to hire all these professionals, I embark on my own personal mission to re-visit learning the french language. Thanks to a wonderful woman who is actually a "genealogical cousin", I have begun that process by using the gift of "The Rosetta Stone". The above image is actually two sides of the book containing the birth registrations from St. Philippe Church located in La Prairie, Quebec, Canada. It spans the years of 1823-1830. The page on the right side lists the birth record for my paternal 2nd Great Grandfather, Bernard Menard, in the 3rd entry down on the page.